The Inheritance Token Trembles

More importantly, she was his disciple.

"Take it."

Daoist Chen Yuan tossed the jade pendant to Chen Changqing.

"This is Soul-Protecting Jade that I collected during my travels Nine Provinces when I was young. Although it's not exactly a rare treasure, wearing it can protect the soul from the erosion of Yin Baleful Qi, and it might come in handy in the Nine Nether Ghost Domain."

Chen Changqing caught the jade pendant; it was icy cold to the touch.

"Thank you, Master."

Daoist Chen Yuan waved his hand, his expression turning serious.

"You can go, but give me a time limit."

He held up one finger.

"One month. You must return to Mount Shu within one month. The Righteous and Demonic Assembly is in three months, and as the leader of Mount Shu, you absolutely cannot be absent."

"Disciple understands."

"And another thing," Daoist Chen Yuan stared into his eyes, "If things are beyond our control, don't be reckless. Xiaoqian is important, but you are the future of Mount Shu. You need to know what's more important."

Chen Changqing paused for a moment, then bowed respectfully.

"I understand."

Daoist Chen Yuan looked at him, but in the end, he couldn't keep a straight face and sighed.

Go ahead, be careful.

Chen Changqing turned and left.

After leaving Daoist Chen Yuan's cave abode, he did not delay at all, and directly rode his sword into the sky, transforming into a streak of azure light that cut through the sky, and sped towards the northwest of the Nine Provinces.

The Nine Nether Ghost Domain is hundreds of thousands of miles away from the Shu Mountain Sacred Land, separated by three large cultivation territories.

Even with Chen Changqing Late True Lord Stage cultivation and full-force sword flight, a distance of hundreds of thousands of miles would take at least half a month to reach the Nine Nether Ghost Domain.

Moreover, there are three major cultivation territories in between, each with its own territorial rules and airspace restrictions.

Forced transmigration? With his current strength, he wasn't afraid, but there was no need to make enemies unnecessarily just to speed up his journey.

The safest way is to use the long-distance teleportation arrays between the major cities.

Chen Changqing put away his sword-flying escape light and landed in the first transit city— Separation Fire City.

Separation Fire City is located on a desert plain at the border of the Northern Territory the Shu Mountain Sacred Land and the Central Province. It is named after an Ancient Fire Vein Ruins in the city.

The city was not small, covering an area of several dozen miles, with high walls and thick ramparts, and the flags of various forces fluttering on the city walls.

Cultivator came and went in a constant stream at the city gate, most of them were Rogue Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment or Golden Core stages, and occasionally a few experts at the Purple Mansion Realm would appear, attracting the attention of onlookers.

Chen Changqing lowered his aura and concealed his cultivation to the level of Foundation Establishment Perfection. Dressed in a plain white Daoist robe, he blended in seamlessly into the crowd.

He didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble.

The name of the new Young Sect Master of Mount Shu is now widely known throughout the Nine Provinces, and various forces are eyeing him covetously. Revealing his identity in such a noisy place would only attract a swarm of flies.

Passing through the city gate, walk along the main street towards the teleportation hall in the city center.

The teleportation array in Separation Fire City belongs to the Nine Provinces Auction House and has an extremely wide coverage area. A single teleportation can traverse half a territory, making it the most commonly used long-distance transportation method in the Cultivation World.

Chen Changqing planned to teleport here to Xuanming City in the northern part of Central Province, and then transfer from Xuanming City to reach the important border town near the Nine Nether Ghost Domain.

With two teleportations and rest breaks along the way, it should take about five days to reach the destination.

He walked at a leisurely pace, his gaze sweeping over the shops and restaurants on both sides, but his mind remained focused on Xiaoqian's matter.

Liu Mu's report was clear— Xiaoqian's soul lamp was not broken, indicating that she was still alive, but her aura had completely disappeared, as if it had been obscured or imprisoned by some force.

The Nine Nether Ghost Domain is a paradise for Ghost Cultivator and undead creatures, and also one of the ten most dangerous places in the Cultivation World. The Yin Baleful Qi there is so dense that it can erode the soul of Heavenly Monarch -level Cultivator, and ordinary people cannot even last half an hour inside.

As Ghost Cultivator, it's quite reasonable for Xiaoqian to go there to cultivate.

But given her personality, she would never leave Evergreen Peak without saying a word.

Unless—she was lured there by something, or forcibly taken away.

Thinking of this, a cold glint flashed in Chen Changqing's eyes.

In either case, he would go there in person.

At the end of the main street in the city, a magnificent crimson hall stands before you. Above the hall's entrance hangs a gilded plaque with the five large characters "Nine Provinces Teleportation Hall," and four armored guards stand on each side.

Chen Changqing was about to step into the teleportation hall.

Suddenly--

A sudden burning sensation came from my arms.

The heat came without warning, penetrating directly through the fabric of the Daoist robe and burning his skin.

Chen Changqing stopped walking, and his right hand instinctively pressed against his chest.

Inside the Heaven-Stepping Ring, an ancient bronze Token was vibrating wildly.

He was all too familiar with this Token — the Heaven-Stepping Immortal Emperor Inheritance Token.

Since obtaining the core inheritance of the Heaven-Stepping Immortal Emperor, this Token has remained quietly in the Heaven-Stepping Ring without ever showing any abnormal reaction.

The only situation that would trigger its response is the appearance of another successor to the Heaven-Stepping Immortal Emperor in the vicinity.

Chen Changqing's pupils contracted slightly.

He quickly glanced around; the bustling street was filled with people, and no one noticed anything unusual about him.

He quietly released his Divine Sense, which enveloped half of the Separation Fire City.

The terrifying Divine Sense of the Late True Lord Stage, combined with the twelve Primordial Spirit, allowed him to explore almost every street and alley, and every corner of the city with meticulous detail.

The Token's vibration frequency increased rapidly.

It is located in the west of the city.

It's not far, about three or four miles.

A playful glint flashed in Chen Changqing's eyes.

The legacy of the Heaven-Stepping Immortal Emperor is scattered throughout the Nine Provinces, with each inheritor possessing a Token. Over the years, he has successively killed four inheritors and seized the Inheritance Fragment.

With each inheritor he slays, the inheritance he receives from the Heaven-Stepping Immortal Emperor becomes more complete, and the cultivation speed of the Invincible Immortal Ascension Technique also increases.

I never expected to run into someone in this unremarkable transit town.

Chen Changqing stopped walking towards the teleportation hall.

No rush with the teleportation array, let's go check it out first.

He moved slightly, blending into the crowd on the street, and walked quickly towards the west of the city.

The bronze Token in the Heaven-Stepping Ring vibrated continuously, and the frequency of the vibrations became more and more intense as he gradually approached his target.

After crossing two main streets, turn into a secluded alley.

The western part of the city was noticeably quieter than the city center, with old and dilapidated buildings on both sides and a faint smell of decay in the air.

Chen Changqing's pace quickened.

As he passed through the last narrow alley and arrived at the edge of an abandoned mine on the western outskirts of the city—

A piercing scream suddenly exploded in my ears.

Immediately following were the clanging sounds of weapons clashing, and the aftershocks of several fluctuations in Law Power.

Golden Core level.

Chen Changqing sensed the different levels of those Law Power fluctuations and paused slightly.

Too weak.

He was so weak that fighting with ants was no different from fighting with him.

But the Token in the Heaven-Stepping Ring vibrated, pointing precisely in the direction where the battle was taking place.

Chen Changqing's eyes narrowed slightly.

He leaped onto an abandoned, rubble-covered platform next to the mine and looked down from there.